Clandestine
by athermiac
Summary: Harry finds the owner of the last Horcrux and without knowing it, falls in love with her. Harry and OC, Hermione and Ron. Takes place during seventh year... SPOILERS! Fluff and G rating.


**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter. All Harry Potter stuff belongs to JK Rowling.

**Comments**: Harry/OC pairing, Hermione/Ron pairing. It takes place during seventh year. There's not much to say, but many surprises. Slight fluff and a G rating. Have fun and reviews and loved!

**CLANDESTINE**

**Chapter 1**

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" 'Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is closing after over a thousand years of magical education. Started by the four famous witches and wizards for whom the three houses were named, Hogwarts has been an essential part of the Wizarding community since before anyone can remember.

Unpotable and protected against muggles, Hogwarts castle has been considered the safest place to hide something you'd want to keep safe, besides our Gringotts, Wizard Bank. Despite this, there was much debate, following the tragic and mysterious murder of its headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, concerning the schools reopen this September. In only about a month's time, the eleven governors held a vote, the majority of which chose a closing.

"Besides," says Crosby Arttlehurst, a spokesman for the council. "Hardly anyone is safe anywhere now that—well, you know. Why not just let the kids stay home with their families?"

_Albus Dumbledore was murdered by an unknown witch or wizard on a balmy night last June when approximately 20 of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name's follower, currently known as 'Death Eaters', somehow found their way into the school. _

_There were no witnesses to Dumbledore's murder, but according to his symptoms when discovered, he was hit with the most fatal of the three Unforgivable Curses: Avada Kedavera, while standing atop the school's Astronomy Tower. His body was discovered on the ground just below the ledge and oddly enough, was not physically injured from his fall. _

_Some teachers who fought in the battle were injured, as well as a few Aurors who arrived immediately on the scene. Sixth year, Neville Longbottom suffered a small number of injuries, but nothing at all deadly or prolonging. The headmaster's funeral was held on school grounds, to which many attended. _

_Dumbledore is known as the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen, as well as for his defeat of Grindlewald in 1945, discovering the twelve uses for dragon blood, and his work on Alchemy with his partner, Nicholas Flamel who is deceased as well as of about six years ago. Dumbledore was described as wildly humorous, at times eccentric, incredibly forgiving, and of course, extremely wise. _

_There is no doubt that his death is surely the gravest and most angering out of all committed by the Dark Lord and his supporters. "They said Dumbledore was the only one you-know-who ever feared," says a concerned shopkeeper in Diagon Alley. "Now that Dumbledore's gone, who's gonna protect us?" ' "_

'Right depressing, isn't it?' said Ron.

Harry merely sighed and crumpled the newspaper up, throwing it into the wastepaper basket in the corner. Another one would be delivered secretly tomorrow, hidden from the muggles in the town. 'We knew it was going to happen,' Harry said. 'They had to close the school after someone was killed there, especially someone like Dumbledore. Like they said, it was supposed to be the safest place.'

'Well, it still is,' said Ron with a slight hopefulness in his voice. 'It's still safe. We just had a little slip up, that's all.' Harry looked away. He thought it was a bit rich of Ron to call this whole fiasco a "little slip up".

'And they didn't even mention that it was Snape that did it,' said Harry, anger bubbling somewhere inside. 'Everyone knew it was him. I told them, McGonagall and the rest and they believed me. Why didn't they say anything? Why aren't they looking for him?'

'Maybe they did say something, but _The Daily Prophet_ didn't want to say it. It's a bit outrageous, isn't it? Even for the _Prophet_ to report.' Ron paused and then said gravely, 'Maybe they just can't find him.'

Harry nodded. He looked around the small hotel room they were sharing. In a way, it kind of reminded him of Grimmuald Place with its peeling walls, dusty furniture and cob-wed coated chandelier. It was just as depressing as the article he just read. 'I'm going for a walk,' he muttered. Thinking about Grimmuald Place was making him think of Sirius. Snape and Dumbledore were enough right now. He needed to clear his head.

'I'll be back later.' He pushed himself off his bed and grabbed his jacket. 'I'll be here when you get back,' he heard Ron say as he opened the door, then shut it behind him.

Once outside he found it was a bit foggy and it had rained during the night. Muggle cars parked along the street glistened wet in the morning sun. The gravel from the hotels' front path crunched under his trainers as he walked along the path. He'd seen an antique and a jewelry shop when coming into town so he decided to head there and begin looking.

His mind wandered to the five Horcruxes they'd worked hard to recover. He'd tracked down the diary and they'd found Helga Hufflepuff's cup in Borgin and Burke's. Hermione had traveled to the cottage to find the snake and Ron went back to Hogwarts for Godric Gryffindor's sword. Dumbledore had already destroyed the ring, so now all that was left was Slytherins' necklace.

They had asked around about the goblet with no luck, and then it came to him. In the memory Dumbledore had shown him, Voldermort had been working at Borgin and Burke's when he attained the cup. They were able to buy it after much haggling and finally, Mr. Borgin reluctantly handed it over, unable to refuse the generous sum of money Harry had put down.

Hermione was at school to teach Transfiguration to home-schooled children. Wanting to be of help, she offered to take a break from school and go to Marvolos' old cottage and take the snake down from the door. The trio was surprised Voldermort hadn't bothered to take it down. Then Hermione suggested he didn't think it would stand out too much, therefore it wouldn't be in too much danger.

The diary and sword were with McGonagall, who had inherited all of Dumbledore's things that he kept in his office. Ron and Harry actually visited her house and explained the situation to her. She gladly handed the items over; uncharacteristically wishing the boys luck as she did so. She seemed tired, older than they remembered her. Dumbledore's death must have taken a much bigger toll on her than they thought.

Harry had burned each Horcrux as he retrieved it. The diary was already destroyed, but he burned it anyway. The sword and cup were difficult because all they did was melt. So with a little help from Hermione, he discovered an extremely powerful disintegrating charm. The metal ripped to shreds like paper with a simple swish of his wand. He supposed he'd do the same with the necklace when he found it.

As new Aurors, he and Ron were sent here because Vampires were supposed to live in the woods nearby and there was word Voldermort wanted to recruit them. Harry and Ron were instructed to send word if they saw a Death Eater or anyone who looked suspicious. Any deaths or odd disappearances, anything that looked odd, were to be reported.

Harry was knocked from his musings when the jewelry shop was the first one he came to. It was a small, but well-lit shop with a door that jingled when it was open. It was clean and organized; sparkling clear cases held various items around the room. An older gentleman with salt and pepper hair and fine wrinkles pulling at his eyes and mouth stood behind the counter. Harry guessed he owned it. His forehead was creased as well, as he was working on mending a small bracelet behind the counter and he hardly noticed Harry enter.

There were only a few other people in the store: a couple looking at rings, a child and his mother, and a young man. The brawny young man seemed only about Harry's age with light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a circular face. He was looking suspiciously at Harry from beneath rather bushy eyebrows, then left in a bit of a hurry.

After looking around in vain for a few moments, he went to the counter. He cleared his throat and the man looked up. 'I'm looking for a necklace,' Harry began and began to describe the golden locket. But Harry left the store with a heavy heart after the man shook his head, claiming never to have such a locket. The antique shop was next.

He saw as he entered that it was in a lot worse shape. A variety of furniture, boxes of clothes and other nick-knacks stood around plainly, many things rather dusty. The walls were painted an old shade of yellow and only a bare light bulb hung from a string above the cash register. And behind the register was something that made Harry's heart flip.

A girl. Not too thin with an oval shaped face and large, thick glasses over hazel eyes. Her hair was light brown, almost dark blonde, pulled into a messy ponytail at the base of her neck. Strands of it fell to the side of her bangs. She looked up from her magazine once he walked in. She smiled and it seemed to make the whole room brighter.

'Can I help you with something?' she asked him, closing the magazine and coming around the counter. As she did, Harry noticed she looked a lot like the boy who was hanging around the jewelry store.

'Uh… yeah,' he said once he realized he hadn't answered. 'I'm looking for a necklace, do you carry jewelry?' He only just noticed there didn't seem to be any around.

She shook her head. 'Nope. Jewelry and books are the only things it seems like we don't sell. You might want to check the jewelry shop down the street,' she said, glancing around at the mess. 'I've already been there,' he nearly groaned. Just his luck… where else could he look? Where could this necklace be?

'You don't look familiar. Have you just moved in?' she asked curiously, leaning on a box and surveying him. His attention suddenly turned away from the necklace and completely to her.

'No, just passing through,' he muttered. What could he tell her? He was looking for a necklace with a bit of a dark wizards' soul in it? She'd think he was insane. 'On business,' he added.

'I see,' she murmured, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses. He shifted uncomfortably. She had those kinds of eyes Dumbledore had. As though they were staring right through you. 'What kind?' she asked.

'Um… government.' Well, that was half true. Aurors were part of the Wizarding government.

She grinned. 'Funny, you don't seem like the politician type,' she said, looking at him appreciatively.

'I'm not really a politician. More like… a detective,' he said, glad he found the right word to describe what he was supposed to be doing.

'Well, what is it you're looking for?' she asked almost instantly. She seemed to be a gold mine of questions.

Harry suddenly realized she would be a good person to interrogate. She would definitely tell him if she saw anything odd. 'I honestly don't know exactly. But have you noticed anything strange around here lately?' he asked.

'Like what?'

'People vanishing or dying strangely? Shady people walking around on their own? Anyone going into that forest at the edge of town?'

Her head cocked to the side and she bit her lip, but then shook her head slowly. 'Nope. It's been quiet as ever lately. In fact, you're the first person to walk in here all week.'

'Maddie!'

Harry and the girl both turned. It was the boy from the jewelry store, standing in the doorway of what seemed like a back room behind the register. 'Who's he?' he snapped suddenly, looking disapprovingly at Harry. The girl called Maddie rolled her eyes heavenward.

'A _customer_, Matt,' she said, with just as much attitude, her warm qualities leaving in an instant. 'What do you want?' Harry couldn't help but be fiercely reminded of Ginny and the way she talked to her own brothers.

Matt's eyes took a few more moments to leave him, but eventually they focused on Maddie. 'I need to talk to you,' he said, hardly moving his mouth as though trying not to let Harry hear. Maddie sighed and rolled her eyes again, then looked at Harry.

'Don't go away?' she said softly, looking at him over her glasses. The eagerness in her voice made him nod. He heard Matt give a sort of grunt from the doorway. Maddie grinned at him again and followed her brother into the back.

Harry walked around the store, trying to rid his stomach of the butterflies that had just appeared and his head of Maddie's departing smile. He wondered if Maddie and Matt owned this store on their own. It was called "Brook's Antique's," so he guessed that was their surname. He suddenly heard loud, muffled voices from the back. The words were incomprehensible, but sounded angry.

Harry smiled as Maddie came out again, shutting the door firmly behind her. She looked up and seemed surprised, yet pleased, that he was still there. 'Sorry about that,' she told him, coming over. 'My brother; he gets paranoid whenever he sees me talking to a guy.' Harry shrugged.

'Don't worry about it,' said Harry. 'I have a friend that's the same way with his younger sister.'

'Oh, he isn't older. I am. By three minutes,' she said with a shrug and small smile. 'We're twins. I was born first but ever since our mother died a year ago, he thinks he owns me and everything I do.'

'I'm sorry,' Harry replied instinctively. 'About your mother, that is.' She nodded in thanks. 'Maybe he's just trying to protect you?' he suggested.

'Maybe…' she sighed, her eyes falling to the floor. She then looked straight up at him. 'I never got your name?' she said.

'Oh, Harry,' he replied. He smiled. He couldn't help it; this is the first time he could introduce himself without people beginning to gawk at his forehead. 'Harry Potter.'

'Maddie Brook.' She stepped closer to him and stuck out her hand. He smiled and shook it, then frowned. She was looking at his forehead, peering through his bangs with childish amazement. 'Wow…' she said softly.

He took his hand back, looking away, without saying anything. 'Oh, I'm sorry,' she said quickly, noticing his discomfort.

'It's fine.'

'No, really, I'm sorry. It's just I've never seen--'

'It's okay!'

She shut up instantly as his voice rose a little. They stood there for a minute, Maddie looking at him gently and Harry looking anywhere to avoid her eyes. 'You said you were looking for a necklace,' she said gently, obviously trying to break the ice. 'What for?'

'Present for a friend,' he lied quickly. 'I'm sorry I snapped, I'm just a little sensitive about it.' She nodded, pushing some hair behind her ear. A movement over her shoulder suddenly caught Harry's eye. The door had opened a crack and he saw a heavily browed hazel eye peered out.

Maddie must have seen Harry's attention shift, because she sighed and shouted, 'Matt!' The eye disappeared and the door shut instantly.

'Maybe I should go,' said Harry, beginning to get uncomfortable. The necklace obviously wasn't here so why should he stick around? Well, he could think of one reason but if Matt was as strong as he looked, it was no use. But Maddie's face fell.

'Oh. Okay,' she murmured. 'It was nice meeting you.' Harry smiled at her; rather glad she seemed disappointed. 'Maybe I'll see you around?' she said hopefully.

Harry nodded, said a soft, 'Bye' and left the store. As he made his way back to the hotel, his worries about the last Horcrux didn't seem to be as strong.


End file.
